Packaging core and method of use

ABSTRACT

A packaging core ( 10 ) has an elongated, hollow tubular body portion ( 14 ) with funnel shaped ends ( 18, 22 ) and is used to prepare bales ( 34, 36, 38, 40 ) for transportation. The bales are formed into four-bale sets ( 56 ), each set ( 56 ) being bound together around a packaging core ( 10 ), for example with elastic bands ( 52 ). A pole lift can then be used to load the bale sets ( 56 ) onto a truck or other vehicle for transportation. The four bale sets ( 56 ) are more stable during transport than individual bales and are therefore less disorganized when they arrive at their destination. This reduces the time and effort spent during the loading and offloading processes, as well as the risk that neighboring bale sets ( 56 ) will be damaged during the offloading process.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates generally to the cotton gin and cotton gin servicing industries. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method for the preparation, loading, and transportation of bales.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] After being processed at a cotton gin, finished cotton bales are covered with a plastic bag for protection during transportation. Plastic bag vendors provide these plastic bags in increments of 250 bags, with 249 of the 250 bags being stuffed into the 250^(th) bag. This stuffed 250^(th) bag is a bag bale.

[0005] These bag bales are provided to cotton gins by cotton gin servicers, and must be transported from the servicers' warehouses to the cotton gins. Because each cotton bale is extremely large, the plastic bags, and hence the bag bales, are also extremely large and difficult to move. Typically, a squeeze arm loader is used to load individual bag bales onto a truck for transportation in a stacked configuration, and also to offload the bag bales at their destination.

[0006] While the loading process at the servicer's warehouse is relatively free of difficulty, the offloading process at the cotton gin is problematic. The bag bales are subjected to considerable bouncing on the roads during the trip from the servicer's warehouse to the cotton gin. Since individual bag bales are unstable when stacked atop one another, this jostling causes them to arrive at their destination in a “crash” position. That is, they are non-uniformly oriented and positioned in a disorganized fashion, inside the vehicle's cargo container. This makes it extremely difficult to offload a bag bale using a squeeze arm loader without punching a hole in adjacent bag bales. Workmen must move each bag bale into a safe position relative to the other bag bales before they can be removed from the truck. Even under the most favorable of circumstances, the squeeze arm loader can safely remove only two bag bales during each trip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is in view of the above problems that the present invention was developed. The present invention is a packaging core tube having an elongated, hollow tubular body portion with funnel shaped ends and a method of using the packaging core to prepare bales for transportation. Bales are preferably formed into four-bale sets, each set being bound together around a packaging core. A bale/tube assembly may have any number of bales that may be practically bound to a packaging core tube.

[0008] A pole lift can then be used to load the bale sets onto a truck or other vehicle for transportation, for example from the servicer's warehouse to the cotton gin. The funnel shaped ends of the packaging core ensure proper insertion of the lifting pole into the packaging core prior to lifting the bale set. In the preferred embodiment, the bale sets are loaded two at a time, for a total of eight bales each trip, but more or fewer bales sets may be loaded depending on such factors as the capabilities of the pole lift used and the size of the bale sets. When stacked in a truck, the four-bale sets are heavier and this more stable during transport than individual bales. They are therefore less disorganized when they arrive at their destination, which makes the offloading process both easier and less time consuming. Additionally, the use of a pole lift and packaging core instead of a squeeze arm loader reduces the risk that one bag bale will be punctured during the offloading of other bag bales.

[0009] The present invention may be used for any deformable material, such as loads of plastic bags, shipped in any bag made of flexible material, such as plastic.

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method by which bales can be transported from place to place without becoming greatly disorganized en route.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a rapid, simple, and safe method for the loading and unloading of more than two bales at a single time.

[0012] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used to create a stable configuration of bales loaded for transportation.

[0013] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device that allows for rapid, simple, and safe loading and unloading of more than two bales at a single time.

[0014] Further advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numbers indicate like elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a side view of the packaging core.

[0016]FIG. 2 is an end view of the packaging core.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the packaging core.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a side view of a bound four-bale set.

[0019]FIG. 5 is an end view of a bound four-bale unit further illustrating the packaging core inserted into the interstitial space at the center of the four-bale set.

[0020]FIG. 6. is a perspective view of a four-bale set bound and prepared for transportation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, a packaging core 10 includes an elongated, hollow, tubular body portion 14, a first end 18, and a second end 22. In the preferred embodiment, first end 18 and second end 22 are flared into funnel shapes so that there is an inclined funnel wall 26 (visible when packaging core 10 is viewed end-on as shown in FIG. 2). The incline helps to guide a shaft, such as a lifting pole on a pole lift, into the hollow center 30 of packaging core 10 when the shaft does not approach center 30 dead-on.

[0022] The use of packaging core 10 to prepare first through fourth bag bales 34, 36, 38, and 40, respectively, for transportation is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. First bag bale 34 and second bag bale 36 are placed side by side to form a first two-bale layer 42. A second two-bale layer 44 is then formed on top of first layer 42 by stacking third bag bale 38 atop first bag bale 34 and fourth bag bale 40 atop second bag bale 36. This will create an interstitial space 48 between first layer 42 and second layer 44. Preferably, packaging core 10 is placed on top of first layer 42 between first bag bale 34 and second bag bale 36 prior to stacking third bag bale 38 and fourth bag bale 40 to form second layer 42, so that interstitial space 48 is formed around packaging core 10 once second layer 42 is formed. However, packaging core 10 can also be inserted into interstitial space 48 after all four bales have been stacked. Bales 34, 36, 38, and 40 are then bound together as a unit around packaging core 10, for example by wrapping with elastic bands 52, to form a bale set 56.

[0023] A pole lift can then be used to lift bale set 56 and load it onto a truck or other vehicle for transportation from the servicer's warehouse to the cotton gin. The pole of the pole lift is first inserted into packaging core 10. If the pole is not properly aligned to pass directly into center 30, the inclination of funnel wall 26 will help to guide the pole in. In the preferred embodiment, the same process is used to lift a second bale set 56 so that two bale sets 56 (a total of eight bales) are transported with each trip by the pole lift; if necessary, the pole lift can be maneuvered for proper insertion into the second bale set's packaging core. The eight bag bales can then be moved by the pole lift to the truck, deposited, and the pole withdrawn. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the number of bale sets 56 that can be transported with each trip of by the pole lift will vary with the capabilities of the pole lift and the size of the bale sets 56, so that either more or less than two bale sets 56 may be transported per trip. In any event, at least four bag bales are loaded during each trip, which will considerably reduce the time and effort spent loading bales at the servicer's warehouse. It should be noted that the inclination of funnel wall 26 is especially important to the loading of the second and subsequent bale sets 56 because the pole lift operator's view of the packaging cores in later bale sets is likely to be obstructed by the already loaded bale sets, thus making perfect alignment of the lifting pole with center 30 difficult.

[0024] When stacked, the four-bale sets are heavier and more stable than individual bales, and are therefore less subject to being tossed and thrown during transportation. Consequently, there is a large reduction in the disorganization present in the back of the truck once it has reached its destination, and this will speed the offloading process. The bales are also offloaded at least four at a time, using a method that is generally similar to that described above, further reducing the time and effort spent in the offloading process. Additionally, since the offloading process uses a pole lift and packaging core combination instead of a squeeze arm loader, the risk that neighboring bag bales will be punctured during the offloading process is greatly reduced.

[0025] The weight of such bags of deformable material, plastic bags or otherwise, are known to those of skill in the art. The width of pole lift poles and fork truck forks are also known to those of skill in the art and consequently the width of the tube comprising the packaging core is also known.

[0026] Two preferred embodiments of the present invention are binding a packaging core tube to two bags and binding the packaging core tube to four bags. It is within the scope of this invention to bind the tube to one bag, three bags or more than four bags. It is a preferred embodiment of the present invention that the dimensions and weight of the bags be consistent with a plastic bag containing 249 other plastic bags whose intended use is bagging bales of bulk material such as cotton. However, it is within the scope of this invention that other sizes and weights of flexible bags containing deformable material may utilize the present apparatus and method. Accordingly, while it is preferred to lift the bale/tube assemblies of the present invention with a pole lift pole or a fork truck fork, other lifting elements may be used as well, provided that the lifting element is dimensioned to be inserted into a corresponding core tube. Those of skill in transportation will recognize that the apparatus and method of the present invention are useful in binding, loading and unloading any unbound, deformable mass contained in a flexible bag, and such utility is considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0027] As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Additionally, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the device and method disclosed above can be used to package and transport any sort of bales and should not be limited to use with only bag bales. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

1. A method of enhancing portability of deformable material in flexible bags comprising: binding at least one bag of deformable material to a tube, said tube being dimensioned to receive insertion of a lifting element.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said tube widens at least one end, said widening being dimensioned to guide said insertion of the lifting element into said tube.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one bag is plastic.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said deformable material inside said at least one flexible bag is plastic bags.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said binding is by binders selected from the group consisting of: plastic bands, metal bands and wire.
 6. A method of packing for transportation flexible bags of deformable material comprising: binding at least one bag to a tube to form a bound bag and tube assembly; inserting in said tube a lifting element; lifting said bound bag and tube assembly; placing said bound bag and tube assembly onto a transportation vehicle; and removing said lifting element.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said binding is by binders selected from the group consisting of: plastic bands, metal bands and wire.
 8. Method of claim 6 wherein said tube widens at least one end, said widening being dimensioned to guide said insertion of the lifting element into said tube.
 9. The method of claim 6 wherein said at least one bag is plastic.
 10. The method of claim 6 wherein said deformable material inside said at least one flexible bag is plastic bags.
 11. A method of transporting flexible bags of deformable material comprising: binding at least one bag to a tube to form a bound bag and tube assembly; inserting in said tube a lifting element; lifting said bound bag and tube assembly; placing said bound bag and tube assembly onto a transportation vehicle; removing said lifting element; transporting said bag and tube assemblies on said vehicle to a destination; inserting a second lifting element in said tube; lifting said bag and tube assembly from said transportation vehicle; lowering said bag and tube assembly to a receiving platform; and removing said second lifting element.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said binding is by binders selected from the group consisting of: plastic bands, metal bands and wire.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein said tube widens at least one end, said widening being dimensioned to guide said insertion of the lifting element into said tube.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein said at least one bag is plastic.
 15. The method of claim 11 wherein said deformable material inside said at least one flexible bag is plastic bags.
 16. A deformable material flexible bag transport assembly comprising: at least one bag of deformable material; a tube, said tube being dimensioned to receive a lifting element; and a binder securing said tube to said at least one bag.
 17. The transport assembly of claim 16 wherein said tube is dimensioned to receive a fork truck fork as the lifting element.
 18. The transport assembly of claim 16 wherein said tube is dimensioned to receive a pole lift pole as the lifting element.
 19. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one bag is plastic.
 20. The method of claim 16 wherein said deformable material inside said at least one flexible bag is plastic bags.
 21. The method of claim 16 wherein said binding is by binders selected from the group consisting of: plastic bands, metal bands and wire.
 22. A packaging core tube comprising: a tube having a hollow inside diameter dimensioned to receive a lifting element; and a widening of said inside dimension at at least one end of said tube, whereby said widening guides insertion of the lifting element.
 23. The packaging core tube of claim 22 wherein said tube is dimensioned to receive a fork truck fork as the lifting element.
 24. The packaging core tube of claim 22 wherein said tube is dimensioned to receive a pole lift pole as the lifting element. 